Mitchelstown Enterprise Centre plans major growth
CENTRE PLANS 4,,000 SQ FT EXPANSION AND 300 PER CENT INCREASE IN WORKER NUMBERS
A CENTRE dedicated to the nurturing of small indigenous businesses within the Mitchelstown area has already proven so successful that plans are being put in place to expand the facility.
Opened two years ago, The local Enterprise Centre, situated at the former Advance factory opposite the Firgove Hotel, has rapidly developed into a thriving hub of entrepreneurial activity.
It will be officially opened next Tuesday by Minister for State at the Department of Justice and Equality and Cork East TD David Stanton.
The centre is the brainchild of the Mitchelstown Forum, an umbrella group established as a driver for social and economic change across the greater Mitchelstown region.
The principle aims of the Forum are to give the area a unified voice at local, regional and national levels and to develop a cohesive, cross-community approach to change and the implementation of change in the area.
The centre’s facilities include free car parking, full networking, meeting/ boardrooms, a fully equipped training room and a canteen.
In the two years since the centre opened its doors it has become home to nine businesses boasting a combined total of 16 employees.
The chair of the Mitchelstown Forum, Liam O’Doherty, said that demand for space since it opened has been such that plans are afoot to build an additional 4,000 sq ft to accommodate aspiring entrepreneurs. Once completed it will almost triple the number of people employed at the centre.
“We realised several years ago that there was a chronic shortage of suitable space in Mitchelstown for local entrepreneurs seeking a base to start a new business. We looked at several different sites and settled on the Advance factory, which has been vacant for some time,” said Mr O’Doherty.
“We approached Enterprise Ireland who agreed to provide 45% of the cost, with Cork County Council offering significant support and the remaining funding coming through locals who backed the project with loans and donations,” he added.
Mr O’Doherty said the success of the Centre was “a great sign” for the future of Mitchelstown.
“While the town still relies on large employers such as Dairygold and Aldi, there is no doubt but that small businesses will become the greatest source of employment in the years ahead,” he said.
“By opening and expanding the Enterprise Centre, we in the Mitchelstown Forum want to provide a suitable environment that will allow people with ideas to nurture and develop their businesses.”
For more information about the centre, its services and contact details for management visit www.mitchelstownenterprise.com.